The resurrection of Jesus is important for several reasons. First, it witnesses to the immense power of God Himself.

To believe in the resurrection is to believe in God. If God exists, and if He created the universe and has power over it, He has power to raise the dead.

If He does not have such power, He is not a God worthy of our faith and worship. Only He who created life can resurrect it after death, only He can reverse the hideousness that is death itself, and only He can remove the sting that is death and the victory that is the grave's (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). In resurrecting Jesus from the grave, God reminds us of His absolute sovereignty over life and death.

Second, the resurrection of Jesus is a testimony to the resurrection of human beings, which is a basic tenet of the Christian faith. Unlike all other religions, Christianity alone possesses a Founder who transcends death and who promises that His followers will do the same.

All other religions were founded by men and prophets whose end was the grave. As Christians, we take comfort in the fact that our God became man, died for our sins, and was resurrected the third day. The grave could not hold Him. He lives, and He sits today at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. That is our blessed hope!

For more tips on the importance of the resurrection of Christ, visit Christ the Good Shepherd at 3303 West Vernon Avenue in Los Angeles or call the Maasai Village Chief at (323) 687-2167.